


Island Retreat

by ScarletWinter2478



Category: Sebastian Stan - Fandom
Genre: Action & Romance, Adventure, F/M, Love, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-09
Updated: 2017-08-09
Packaged: 2018-12-13 08:43:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 17,423
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11756199
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ScarletWinter2478/pseuds/ScarletWinter2478
Summary: Sebastian Stan convinces his girlfriend Abby Stewart to join him on a trip to a private island off the coast of Belize.  The weather is beautiful, the blue ocean, the gentle waves, the lovely bungalow that lacks nothing and a staff that spoils them in every way.  Its all amazing and they have the island pretty much to themselves.  Perfect, right?Their trip starts with the airline misplacing their luggage and only gets crazier from there.  When unexpected guests arrive and gunfire rings out, will this perfect vacation turn into the trip from hell?  Or will their love get them through it all?





	1. Chapter 1

 

Abby Stewart was exhausted. It had been a long difficult day with endless interruptions and unhappy clients and things that just didn’t turn out the way they should have.  Added to that was the pervasive feeling of guilt that lingered from last night’s argument with Sebastian.  She didn’t like it when they argued, but it seemed like it had become an inevitable occurrence every few weeks.  Sometimes it was her fault, more often it was his fault, but lately it seemed that there was no fault at all, and still they argued.  Of course he always knew exactly what to do or say to earn her forgiveness, often ending up getting what he wanted in the first place.

Not this time. She had to stand firm.  She wouldn’t let him get the upper… 

“Shit,” Abby muttered as she turned the corner onto her block and looking ahead to her house, she spotted Sebastian’s car in the driveway. Pulling up beside it and parking, she sighed deeply; her head had started pounding about half way home, and it wasn’t getting any better. 

He sat on the porch at the top of the stairs, his neatly trimmed dark hair showing reddish hi-lights in the setting rays of the sun. And the beard… at first it had annoyed her, but he had teased her, promising she would grow to love it. And she did; running her fingers tips through it a favorite pass time of hers… when things were good.  He was bulking up for another action movie and his black under armor t-shirt did nothing to conceal his muscular upper body, his chest fully outlined under the thin fabric.

Jumping up from his spot on the porch, Sebastian made his way down the stairs and walked toward the driveway. Damn, he could see she was not at all happy to see him.  He was hoping to go a second round with her about the trip he wanted them to take, but he didn’t want a repeat of last night’s argument.  He pulled the car door open and waited for Abby to step out.  When she did, he bent to kiss her and she quickly turned her head slightly so his lips pressed on her cheek.  She had brought home papers to work on, so he already knew she had an excuse not to discuss it again.

“What are you doing here Sebastian?” No beating around the bush, Abby was not in the mood for it.

Stepping back and giving her room to go in any direction she chose, Sebastian started to speak but she beat him to it, “If you are here to try and convince me to take this trip with you, the answer is still no. It will be no tomorrow and the day after that…”

Biting his lower lip, he offered a soft, hopeful smile, “How about the day after that??”

“Damn it Sebastian! Stop!  You always do this…. But it’s not going to work this time.  I won’t let it.”

“What? What am I doing?” he tried to take her hand and she jerked it away.  With a sigh he spoke again.  “Abby.  Abs, please don’t be this way.  I just came to apologize. You aren’t making it very easy.”

Abby closed her eyes for a beat, trying to collect her thoughts. She knew he was working her… he had done it before and he was very good at it.  It didn’t help her cause any when he looked so incredibly sexy and handsome and sweet and did she say sexy? All of that charm rolled together at once was simply not fair.  He stood there with a look of contrition on his face, his skin tight jeans straining at the seams to contain his ‘thighs of betrayal’, as his fan girls called them. 

“Apologize? Fine.  Go ahead.”

Sebastian could see that she was in no mood for him right now and would be fine if he just left. Well that was too bad.  He loved her in spite of herself and he wasn’t going to let her use this disagreement to put a wedge between them.  She stood in front of him, waiting for his apology, stewing in her anger.

“Abby, I’m sorry about last night. I know it was wrong of me to assume that you could just drop whatever you are doing and follow me to the ends of the earth, or even a Belize Island resort.  I know your work is as important to you as mine is to me.  I know that.  It’s just that sometimes, lately, I feel like we are coming apart at the seams and I think **we need this**. Can’t we talk about some kind of compromise, please?” He finished with one of his patented puppy dog looks and she felt her resolve melting slightly under his hypnotic blue-eyed gaze of innocence.  “Please? "He asked again softly, moving closer to her, looking down into her green eyes.

Shaking her head softly she started, “Sebastian…I don’t see what good it will do… it won’t make my deadlines go away. You don’t …”

They had made their way up the steps and were standing outside her front door.

“No Abby, please, let me finish. You were right last night when you said I was being selfish. I am totally selfish when it comes to you and me and the time we can spend together. I may not have the right to be so possessive, but I honestly don’t have a choice.  I love you too much not to be.  I know you are wrapped up in a couple of big accounts and that you are a ‘hands on’ kind of boss.  That’s who you are.  But Abs, because you ARE the boss, can’t you work it out so that we can have at least a few days in our own little island paradise?  You, me, the sun, the waves, the sand… can you really so no to that?”

She had opened the front door and together they went inside and moved to the kitchen where she lay her papers on the counter, turned to the fridge to get a bottle of water and from a small cabinet a prescription bottle of medicine for the headache that was now making her squint in pain.   When she set the water on the counter top, Sebastian placed his hands gently on the sides of her face asking, “Is it a bad one?”

Abby nodded and he could see in her eyes that she wasn’t just trying to get out of having this discussion; her pain was a living, brutal thing. He took her in his arms tenderly, saying “I’m so sorry baby. What do you need me to do?”

He knew he had just opened the door for her to tell him to take a hike. He also knew she wouldn’t do that.  No matter how she fought it, she was in love with him and he knew it.  Abby sighed, taking his hand and walking over to sit on the couch. She turned her back to him and pulled her long red locks around to the side so he could rub her shoulders.  Damn!  Her muscles were knotted up like a brick wall.  He knew just where to squeeze to help them loosen up.  He knew it didn’t really help the headache, but combined with the pain killer, it usually got her through the night. 

After several minutes of being massaged, she could feel a little of the tension draining away and she leaned back into the couch, then turned toward Sebastian and rested her head on his chest. He wrapped his arms around her pulling her closer, stroking her hair lightly as she relaxed. The pills were hitting her now and he knew it wouldn’t be long before she gave in and slept for a while.  Obviously there would be no talk of vacations tonight.  He looked out the picture window in the living room and could see a small group of kids tossing a ball around.  They had a scruffy looking little dog with them that ran back and forth, wanting in on the fun. He smiled, thinking about the day when he would have his own kids playing in the front yard.  Looking down at Abby, he kissed the top of her head, believing with his whole heart that she would be the mother of those kids and together they would have the perfect family… disagreements and all.

Sebastian shook his head and wondered why this particular little daydream had been coming to him so often lately. The two of them had never spoken of marriage or kids; in fact they still only lived together about half the time. However, in quiet moments like this, he couldn’t imagine his life without her in it.  All of his friends loved Abby, but some of them seemed to think that the two of them were on opposite sides of any argument way too often for their relationship to last.  Of course, other friends told him that the fact they argued and were still together must surely be a sign of how strong their relationship was and that it could only get better.  He would always laugh at both of those points of view; they didn’t know her like he did.  They all thought she was strong and tough and stubborn and unyielding.  They never saw the Abby that showered him with love when he came home from a long shoot out of town.  They seldom saw the soft side of her; the kindness she showed to anyone in need, her love for kids and animals, the way she laughed at silly shows on television or cried over the most trivial things.  They didn’t know the real Abby at all.

They weren’t there when the two of them had first met and the sparks flew immediately…  
  
  


_Sebastian and Abby were both attending a mutual friend’s “house warming” party at a luxury apartment building in the city. It was quite a grand affair with more than its share of celebrities and prominent people in the entertainment business in attendance.  The two of them had actually arrived at that party with dates of their own and Abby seemed to honestly be interested in everything her date, a very popular country singer, had to say.  In fact, they did make a charming couple and under normal circumstances Sebastian would never have made any kind of move on her.  But there was something about her. She immediately caught his attention with her wickedly adorable laugh.  It came from deep inside her and was absolutely musical.  When he first heard it, he turned to find who the owner was and their eyes locked for just a moment._

_That’s all it took. He spent the rest of the evening trying to find ways to sit or stand close to her; he bumped into her more times than seemed natural and she caught him staring at her from across the room on more than one occasion.   To be fair, Abby had been looking forward to meeting Sebastian Stan that night and when they were formally introduced, she couldn’t stop the blush that spread across her cheeks at the touch of his lips on the side of her face when they hugged lightly.  Never one to play coy, she read the invitation in his eyes and gave him a look of appreciation.  When a large group of those present decided to check out the view from the rooftop observatory, Sebastian and Abby had both somehow been separated from their dates and ended up squeezed together in the elevator.  He maneuvered his way through the bodies to end up behind her, rubbing his chest discreetly across her back as he got situated._

_“Oh my gosh,” she whispered as he breathed on her neck and then leaned down to ask, “Was that too obvious?” Abby started giggling and he smiled at the sound.  Once the elevator doors opened they were among the last to get off and he asked, “Where’s your cowboy?”_

_“My… cowboy??!!” she laughed again._

_“You know who I mean.”_

_“I’m not sure, maybe he stayed back to keep your date company. Do you think we should be concerned?”  She was looking directly at him and the gleam in her eyes told him she wasn’t really concerned at all.  Her eyes were the green of emeralds and her red hair was like burnished copper, not brassy, but a deep rich red. The elevator door started to close and Sebastian put his hand out to stop it.  They both stepped out then walked to the windows that were so clear you almost didn’t notice they were there.  The view was incredible and Abby oohhed and aahhed and smiled in appreciation.  He could hardly take his eyes off of her._

_“Let’s get out of here, what do say?” Sebastian wanted to get out of the crowd of people that knew them and go somewhere and talk…_

_“What?!” she asked in a shocked voice._

_“I know you want to,” he smiled in reply._

_“What makes you think you know what I want?” she asked, pointing her perfect nose up in the air, giving him a sideways glance._

_“The way you’ve looked at me all night. The way you are looking at me right now.” Abby opened her mouth to argue, but he went on, “Tell me, just how serious are you about tall, dark and country?  I mean I’m sure he’s a very nice guy, but you don’t belong with him.  I can tell.”_

_“Oh really?” Abby was taken aback by his self-confidence. “Suppose you tell me just who I DO belong with?”  She thought she had a pretty good idea of what his reply would be.  He surprised her when he said, “That’s yet to be seen.  I just know it’s not him.”_

_“Either way,” she spoke with determination, “I came here with him and I will be leaving with him. That’s only right.”_

_Sebastian looked around to see who might be watching them and putting his hands on her waist, he spoke softly, “That won’t matter. Because I know who you’ll be thinking of when you go.”_

_Abby felt like she should be angry or insulted or something, but all she could do was laugh! He was absolutely incorrigible and funny and handsome and she would never admit it to him, but of course he was right..._

 

Sebastian smiled now at the memory of that meeting; amazed it had been over two years ago. Looking back on it, he shook his head at his own audacity that night, thinking how lucky he was that Abby had a wicked sense of humor and was not turned off by his forwardness.  And it hadn’t hurt that she had been just as attracted to him as he was to her.

She stirred in his arms and he let her shift her body around, now lying with her head on his thigh, using it as a pillow. He stroked her hair lightly for a few minutes, thinking she might rouse from her sleep and eat a bite of dinner with him.  But she sighed at his touch and snuggled in to nap a little longer. The television remote was just barely within his reach, and he grabbed it and turned on a movie that was just starting, turning the volume just high enough that he could follow along.  


About forty minutes later, Abby sat up and looked at Sebastian, his head laying all the way back and resting on the couch, eyes closed in sleep. It had grown dark and it took her a moment to remember what had been going on before she took her pills.  She gazed down at him and smiled, her heart bursting with love.  He was so good to her.  He was so good **for** her.  He made her laugh on days that she really didn’t want to. He made her feel safe and secure during those dark times when the nightmares came.  He put up with her ridiculous work schedule and her bouts of self doubt and fears that she couldn’t do the job.  He was kind and gentle and a bit of a rogue and she loved him with all her heart. She was amazed that of all the women who would gladly throw themselves at his feet, he chose to be with her.  He showed her that he loved her in so many ways.  She sighed and walked into the kitchen to heat up some soup and throw together a couple of sandwiches.   She would give in of course.  He wanted to do this island trip so she would find a way to get things covered at work so they could do it.  He deserved that, and so much more.

 


	2. Chapter 2

 

Three weeks later, Abby answered her phone with a laugh. “Sebastian!!  I will never get out of here if you don’t stop calling me.  Let me tie up just a couple of loose ends and I will be on my way.”

“I know, I know, but I can’t find my passport! What the heck did I do with it?”

Propping the phone between her ear and her shoulder, so she could shuffle through a couple of papers that her assistant Susan had just held under her nose, she was trying to listen to him and sign the papers that needed to be signed.

“uhhhh, well, did you look in all of your suit pockets? Even the ones at the house?”

“The house? Do I have suits at your house?” he sounded hopeful.

“Yes, baby, you have a few of them there. You can either drive out and look right now or wait and let me look when I get home.”

“Are you finished packing?” he asked sweetly, knowing full well that she had barely started. Abby loved to travel, but she HATED to pack.  He didn’t understand why it was such a chore for her, but she always put it off until the very last minute.

Laughing she said, “Seb, I really need to get off the phone. I have a meeting in 10 minutes and no idea what I did with my notes.  Please look for your passport and don’t worry about ME packing, ok?”

“Yeah, ok. No working late, right?”

“I promise. I’ll be heading home right after this meeting.  Now let me go.  I love you!”

“I love you too Abs,” he hung up and chewed on his lip, wondering if he should head on over to her place to check those suit pockets….  


Just as promised, Abby left the office as soon as possible for her first official ‘vacation’ in over two years. The meeting had lasted a little longer than she had expected, because she wanted to make sure that every question was answered before she left.  She knew her people could handle things in her absence, and trusted them each to do their best work while she was out.  She had told them to feel free to call her if anything came up that they weren’t sure about.  What she didn’t know was that Sebastian had spoken with Susan on the side and instructed her NOT to contact Abby unless it was an EXTREME emergency.  Sue had smiled and agreed that she would see to it.  She was always so impressed with how much Sebastian looked out for Abby; and she wondered, not for the first time, when they would get around to getting married. 

Abby pulled into her driveway with one thing on her mind. PACKING!! She had thrown some things in her suitcase, but she was less than half way there.  Sebastian had told her they were going to a ‘private island’ and she had no idea what that meant exactly.  When she had snuggled up next to him in bed that night the migraine had hit, she lightly ran her fingers in circles on his chest and then looked up into his eyes and said “ok.” 

Looking at her skeptically, he had asked “ok?” Before his eyes opened wide and he sat up in bed turning to look down at her, “Okay?? You’ll go?” He covered her face with sloppy kisses.

“Yes, I’ll find a way to make it work,” she giggled and wiped at her face.

“What made you change your mind?” he asked softly.

With a soft sigh, Abby had raised her arms to put them around his neck. “When you said you think we need this, I could tell you meant it.  If we need this, we have to do it.  I don’t ever want to lose you.”

 

From there it had been a madhouse of preparation; making reservations at the Cayo Espanto Island retreat, booking their flights, getting things taken care of at work and the multitude of little things that one does to get ready for a 10 day trip. They were scheduled to leave the following afternoon and Abby was hoping that she would be able to nap at least part of the way.  She may not be a good ‘packer’, but she was an even worse ‘flyer’. 

Sebastian was just so happy that they were finally getting a private get away that he walked around with his head in the clouds. He was between acting jobs at the moment, with his next shoot set to begin shortly after they got back.  He had a ‘handler’ that usually took care of all of his travel arrangements and it had been quite an experience working with Abs to get everything lined up just the way they wanted.  When she saw the price of the accommodations he had picked out, he thought her eyes would pop right out of her head; but he shook his head and said, “It’s not like we do this every day.  I promise you, I can afford it; and I want this to be perfect.” He kissed her then and she rolled her eyes, giving in with no further protests.

 

Tossing her suitcase onto the bed and turning on the radio for musical inspiration, Abby opened her closet door and stared into it. And then stared some more. Hmmm... Next she went to her dresser where she found stacks of neatly folded t-shirts and several pairs of shorts.  “Okay… I’ll need some of these for sure,” she smiled as she sorted through the piles and picked out a number of ‘sets’ that seemed ‘age appropriate’ (yes, she considered things like that) and yet skimpy enough to keep a particular bearded man’s full attention (and she really cared about that part of it).  She pulled out her bathing suit, new a year ago, praying it still fit.  Better try it on.  She bit her bottom lip as she quickly removed her clothes and put the suit on.  It was a one piece (she had several scars that would show otherwise) but it was uniquely cut and actually quite enticing; and thank goodness it DID fit.   As she turned to look over her shoulder at her backside she heard a groan of appreciation come from the door.

“Damn… baby why don’t you wear that a little longer? Just to be sure it’s comfortable, ya know?” Sebastian was shaking his head and puckering his lips like he was looking at a delectable piece of chocolate cake and he was ready for dessert!  He walked up to her, placing his hands on her hips, rolling them back and forth, watching as her breast swayed with the movement.

“Oh fuck! Yes… this is all you need to pack.  Call it done.  Now, let me help you take it off so it doesn’t get dirty …”

Blushing, (oh how he loved to make her blush) Abby grabbed his hands thinking she would change the course of this conversation, but when she looked into his eyes, there was no doubt that her packing was going to be delayed for a ‘minute or two’.

“I think the only thing dirty in here is your mind, Mr. Stan.”

He jerked his head back, his eyes growing large and round saying, “Sex is NOT dirty… not unless you want it to be. I’ve read books…”

She swatted at him and he grabbed her wrist, smoothly guiding her to the bed and gently pushing her down as he lay over her.

“You are so beautiful. So sweet.  So smart.  So damn sexy… “ each statement punctuated by a kiss on her neck or chin or the tip of her nose, the last ending  with his mouth deliciously close to hers as she parted her lips, inviting him to claim it.  He slipped his tongue in to tease her then pulled away.  “Maybe we should re-think this trip,” he said in all seriousness.

“WHAT???” she replied breathless in disbelief.

“I don’t know Abs. I don’t know if I can fight off the guys who are going to want to get their hands on you once we get to that island.”

Abby snorted, “You dork!!”

Leaning in close again he asked, “Yeah, but who’s dork am I?”

Smirking she answered, “Mine. You are MY dork… and I love you.”

Whispering in her ear he agreed, “I’m all yours baby… every dorky inch of me…” he nibbled on her ear, then his lips burned a hot trail of kisses down her neck and across her shoulder as he pushed the one strap of her swimsuit off and down her arm, making quick work of removing it and his own clothing as well. He returned to her lips then as his hands explored and excited every part of her. When she could take no more, she whispered, “Please baby, please…” and being the generous man that he is, he complied, and then some. 

Later, lying in his arms she asked “Did you find it?”

Eyeing her with one raised brow he said, “uhhh… I thought I did.’

Groaning in amusement Abby tried again. “Your passport.  Did you find your passport?”

“Ohhhh!!! That!! Yes, I found it” He gave her a wicked smile then stretched and sighed before jumping up saying, “And now that I have depleted you of every ounce of energy, you need to get up and finish packing.  I’ll go grab us something for dinner.”

Throwing on his clothes as he talked he bent and kissed her tenderly then took off, stopping in the doorway to turn and give her a wink. When he was gone, Abby got up and took a quick shower, then got to work and finished her packing.  


The next day was a flurry of activity and they arrived at the airport early afternoon in the allotted time, and then dealt with the lines and people and nonsense, both of them keeping warm smiles on their faces. Once on board they found their seats and settled in, only to be informed of a slight delay.  Sebastian took her hand in his, giving it a gentle squeeze.  He knew that her favorite part of flying was getting off the plane and he tried to keep her mind occupied with all kinds of nonsense.

Several passengers had noticed them as they boarded and were now attempting to ‘sneak’ photos of Sebastian. He called for the flight attendant and asked if he could have a few minutes to pose with his fans, who all gathered around for individual and a couple of group shots.  One of them noticed Abby and smiled shyly at her.  “Would you please be in the picture with us Abby?”  Yes, the fact that they had been dating for a while had been finally leaked several months ago and she found it amusing that she got asked fairly often to be in the photos that his fans took.  Once they were all satisfied with their pictures, everyone took their seats and it wasn’t much longer before the plane departed.

 

Their journey began with a quick hop to Miami where they had a short 52 minute layover; followed by a nearly a 4 hour flight to Belize. The first sign of trouble came when they arrived at the airport in Belize and their luggage did not.  They were assured that their belongings would arrive on the next flight, but it was not due for another three and a half hours.  They had other connections arranged to get them to the island, so they were given a claim number, phone numbers, contact names and many apologies for the inconvenience and sent on their way.  Fortunately, they each had packed a ‘go bag’ with personal items and a change of clothes that they had carried with them on the plane.  
  


The car ride to the shore was a nightmare! Abby maintained a death grip on Sebastian’s thigh throughout and he was pretty sure he would be sporting a nice bruise there for several days. Thankfully it was not a long ride and they arrived at the shore safely. Once there, they signed the required papers; were given a ton of information about things they could do and see on the mainland, should they grow tired of the isolation at the retreat, and once again they were assured that their luggage would be delivered to them at their bungalow the moment it arrived.

Finally they climbed onto a small boat that would carry them out to the actual island. The water was so shallow in places that the boat scraped along the bottom, giving Abby a sick, uncomfortable feeling.  Under normal conditions, she enjoyed boating; barreling across the huge expanse of the bay, wind and spray cooling your body as you bounce wildly in the wake; floating in the ocean on a pontoon, listening to the water lap the sides of the boat, catching sight of an occasional dolphin breaking the water or jelly fish sliding by.  She had spent several vacations in the past with friends in the Gulf, doing just that.  This?  This felt, different.  
  


The sun was starting its slow descent in the sky; it wouldn’t be too long until it sank below the horizon. It was a beautiful display of reds and purples and gold that should have eased her sense of … whatever it was that had her so on edge.  She felt Sebastian watching her so she turned to give him a bright smile; watching as the frown lines across his forehead softened and he smiled back.  When they reached the dock they were greeted by several staff members who apologized again for their missing luggage, (Abby was beginning to think the airline owned the island) and promised to make them as comfortable as possible, providing for their every need.

They were led to the main building where they received refreshments, their ‘house’ keys, a map of the small island and were introduced to several other staff members who would be discreetly seeing to anything they required. Their package was all inclusive and promised them all of the pampering and/or privacy they desired.  Sebastian did the talking while Abby looked through a photo album filled with shots of previous guests enjoying their time on the island.

As they approached their bungalow, Sebastian followed the bellboy inside to check things out, while Abby dug her phone out of her purse and took the small path to the private man-made beach to get a clear shot of the sunset. It was spectacular and she felt the tension of the day starting to drain away into the sands of the beach.  She turned to find Sebastian so they could share their ‘first island sunset’ together and nearly screamed when she came face to face with a stranger. 


	3. Chapter 3

 

“Hello there, beautiful,” the man spoke softly, smiling as he took in her appearance. “I didn’t mean to startle you. I heard your shuttle boat arrive while I was out for my evening walk and I was curious… Sometimes, curiosity pays off.”

He was tall, blonde and extremely muscular. With the daylight now dimming into twilight, she could still see that his skin was bronzed to perfection and his eyes were a crystal blue.  He brought to mind many of the heroes you would find in any given romance novel; handsome, reckless and… dangerous

Abby had recovered enough from her scare that she managed a smile and said, “Oh my! You certainly did startle me. I was just taking in the awesome sunset.”

“Alone?” he asked with great interest.

“Yes. Well, no.  I mean ... uh..” she looked up the short path leading to the bungalow and was relieved when she saw Sebastian walking her way with a curious scowl on his face.

“Here he is,” she said to the stranger, “This is my boyfriend.”

“Abs?” Seb asked her, his eyes full of question and some concern.

“Hi baby,” Abby smiled at him. “We have company.”

The man extended his hand to Sebastian, “Hello. I’m Chris. Sorry to barge in.  I generally walk the whole island every night. I’ll try to find a new path so I don’t disturb you two.”

Sebastian shook his hand saying “Hey Chris, I’m Sebastian, and I guess you have already met Abby. We **are** looking forward to some privacy, but I don’t think you need to change your evening route along the beach.”

“Thanks man. Well look, I know you just arrived, so I’ll get out of the way so you can settle in.  This really is a nice set up.  I hope you both enjoy your stay.  Good night.”

Sebastian gave him a slight nod as Chris headed off down the beach. Then he turned to Abby and asked, “Abs, are you ok?  Did he say something to you?”

Putting her arm around his waist, she grinned up at him, “No. He just scared the shit out of me is all.   It’s all good.”

Watching as Chris disappeared down the beach; Sebastian frowned then looked down at her with a smile, “Come on inside baby. Take a look at our place. I think you’ll like it.”

 

Once inside, Abby was delighted by what she found there. A good sized living area with plenty of comfortable furniture, beautifully tiled floors that carried throughout; totally open to a small eating area and fully stocked beautiful kitchen with all the gadgets and splendid finishes found in the best homes.  There was a smallish guest bathroom and a master bedroom with another large on-suite bathroom.  It was perfect. 

“Sebastian... this is wonderful!! It looks even better in person than it did on-line!” She threw her arms around him and covered his face with kisses.  “This whole place is fantastic!  You should have seen the amazing sunset… baby this is going to be a wonderful vacation!  Thank you, thank you, thank you for doing this!!”

Grinning from ear to ear, he pulled her close and looking into her sparkling green eyes he said, “Thank you for letting me.” He kissed her then, deeply, possessively, the heat between them rising quickly as she pressed her body to his, her fingers tangled in his hair urging him to take things further.  Wanting to take his time and make the moment last, Sebastian pulled his lips away from hers and began humming one of their favorite songs to dance to.  Abby bit her lip, smiled and started singing softly; swaying to the tune as he put his hands on her waist and moved her around the room.  They stopped in front of the door and Seb reached out to lock it, flipping off the overhead light as well. 

Looking down at Abby he asked “Are you hungry?”

She slowly shook her head saying, “Not for food.”

“No? We have lots of fresh fruit and snacks. There are some cookies that look right up your alley…”

“huh-unh…” she put her hand on his crotch, “not food.”

“Gosh… what then?” he was trying to play it cool while enjoying the sultry smirk on her face and the desire in her eyes.

“Come with me. I’ll show you,” she smiled as she gently rubbed him, feeling his hardness press into her hand.

He picked her up then, all giggles and warmth and sweetness and carried her to the bedroom where they made love as if it was their first time. Soft, slow, exploring, teasing, tasting, and giving themselves to each other completely; Sebastian taking his time to make sure that Abby was fully satisfied.  In his mind, it was always all about her, pleasing her. She had, unfortunately, some bad memories associated with sex and he never wanted her to be afraid of him or uncomfortable with their lovemaking in any way. 

 

( Like I'm Gonna Lose You  --  Meghan Trainor and John Legend

<https://youtu.be/2-MBfn8XjIU> )

 

Afterwards, they lay in bed snuggling, laughing over some silly story that he shared about the last movie he had made with Marvel.  It was his final contracted movie with them and it had been his biggest so far.  Of course, it took months to make and many, many things had gone wrong, providing the DVD with a ton of bloopers to share.  Abby got up to go to the bathroom and when she came out she found that Sebastian had made his way to the kitchen to find some food.  Joining him there, wearing nothing but his shirt, Abby asked, “Where are those cookies you spoke of?” and he laughed, pulling the lid off of a plastic container loaded with homemade cookies of all sorts.

“Damn!” she laughed with glee and grabbed the first two that caught her eye.

Reaching into the cabinet to get a couple of plates, Seb glanced out the window and froze. He could swear he saw the shadow of a large man just before it ducked behind the palm trees that were scattered around the pool area. ‘Oh fuck’ he thought to himself. He didn’t dare react in any way.  If Abby got spooked on their first night there, it would not be good…

“Sebby!!” she called out and he turned to look at her as she walked to stand beside him, “Taste this!” She had almost finished her first cookie when she spotted a fruit of some kind that she had to investigate. Cutting into it she had tasted it and wanted him to give it a try too.  She fed a bite to him and he groaned in appreciation. 

“What is it? Do you know?” she asked as juice ran between her fingers.  He shook his head saying, “No… but it is delicious.” He took another discreet peek out of the window before leading her to the small table where they munched on a few more of the delicacies that had been afforded them; never quite able to shake the feeling that they were being watched.  Before they went back to bed, he made sure the doors and windows were all locked tight and he pulled most of the shades to provide more privacy.  

 

The next morning Abby was up early and made her way to the beach to do some wading just off shore. Their ‘hut’ as the locals called it, came with a small fresh water pool of its own, but she had to get her feet in the ‘real’ water.   It was warm and calm, so clear that she could see the multitude of tiny fish and other critters that swam in it.  As she made her way a little further out, the sand suddenly shifted beneath her and she lost her balance, plopping down into the water.  As it happened, a kayak was approaching from several yards out, and the man onboard saw her splashing about; choking a bit on the water she sucked in when she fell.  Before she knew what was happening, she felt herself being lifted up; a strong warm hand placed on her stomach, and another patting her gently on the back as she bent over to expel the salty stuff making her cough.  It didn’t help that her own vivid imagination kicked in just then and she could picture how stupid she must look which made her start giggling and coughing harder, almost losing her footing again.

Chris laughed loudly as he held onto her, probably a little more closely than he needed. Of course Sebastian, who had not slept all that well and woke up tired and a little grumpy chose that moment to look out the door and see them frolicking and having a merry old time in the water. 

“What the hell?” he said out loud as he watched this stranger putting hands on his woman. And maybe even worse was the fact that she seemed to be enjoying it.  Okay…buddy, get a grip on yourself… there is some kind of valid and acceptable explanation.  You trust Abby implicitly, and she loves YOU.  You know that… Sebastian spent a few minutes trying to convince himself that this was no big deal.  Taking a couple of aspirin from the bottle that Abby had packed, he chugged down a glass of juice, heaved a deep sigh, stepped outside and headed for the beach.  The two of them were still in the water and Chris was pointing out something under the shallow waves to Abby, who looked on with great interest.  He bent near her saying something and Abby looked up at him, with one of her brilliant smiles and laughed that laugh of hers…  
  


“Hey you two!” Sebastian called out, attempting to sound pleasant and almost succeeding… almost.

“Good morning baby!” Abby looked beautiful with the sun playing off her red locks, now wet and dark, hanging down her back and draped over her shoulders. “I hope you don’t mind I let you sleep. You had your frowny face on and looked like you might need it.”

“No. I don’t mind. Looks like you found a way to stay busy.” That didn’t come out quite the way he intended, but fuck… why should **he** feel like the third wheel here?

Chris didn’t seem to notice, but Abby knew him well enough to know he was not happy and she quickly made her way to the shore so she could wrap her arms around him and whisper “I love you dorkus.”

Seb smiled, giving her a wink and a pat on the butt. “Why don’t you go rinse the salt off and we’ll take a walk.”

“Okay! I’ll be right back! Bye Chris.” She added the latter simply to be polite and left the two of them standing there, one in the water, one on land contemplating drowning the other.

Finally, Chris spoke up, “Sorry man. I’m guessing that probably looked a lot worse than it was.  She fell and I thought she needed help.”

Seb held up his hand, “It’s okay. I appreciate your concern.” He sounded sincere, but the tension in the air was thick and heavy. He turned to leave and didn’t look back to see Chris sizing him up as he walked away. Abby was at the side of the house, using the outdoor shower to rinse off and was just finishing when Seb grabbed her and pulled her close.  “There she is… How are you this morning?” 

“I’m so good! This place is beautiful and I really, really love it.  And I really, really love you.”

He kissed her and nodded, “I know baby. I love you too and I am so glad you like it here.” He offered his arm, “Shall we take that walk now?”

Abby curtsied, taking his arm with a smile.   They walked along the beach, holding hands, laughing at the birds and little crabs that skittered away from them as they ventured too close. Sebastian had purposely chosen to walk in the opposite direction that Chris had come from the previous night and when they passed one of the three other bungalows that served as guest houses on the island, it was clearly not occupied at the time.  In a little while, they came upon another that also appeared empty, and that is where Sebastian chose to take a path that cut across the inner part of the island to stop by the main building; telling Abs it was to see if their luggage had arrived.

Abby had a sneaky suspicion that he was more interested in avoiding the 4th rental, knowing it must be occupied by Chris. She couldn’t say she minded missing out on another possible meeting.  He seemed nice enough, and she would have to be dead to not appreciate how attractive he was, but he had an edginess about him that made her uneasy. With his slight accent and scruffy beard he reminded her of a pirate.  Not the romanticized kind; the real life, modern day type pirates that roamed the waters with impunity. She might be just a little bit afraid of him.  
  


Upon their arrival, they were greeted by the on site manager who once again had bad news. Their luggage had not yet arrived, but the airline believed it was in transit, on its way to Belize. Sebastian bit his lip to keep from saying something unkind.  He knew that it wasn’t this man’s fault, and it wasn’t the end of the world.  Looking at Abby with a half smile, he asked her if she was ready to go shopping.

With a delighted giggle, she grabbed his arm, squeezing excitedly and said, “Yes!!”

Seb’s smile widened as he watched her face light up. He arranged transport to the mainland for an hour later and he and Abs walked back to their bungalow to ‘clean up’ a little.  His mood had improved noticeably by the time they arrived ‘home’ with Chris nowhere in sight.  After changing into the clothes they had traveled in, they nibbled on fresh fruit, which had magically appeared while they had been out, along with a fresh supply of cheeses and cookies.  They sat outside by the pool making plans for the rest of the day until their ‘ride’ arrived.  

 

Once they were delivered to the mainland their boat-man went ashore with them to act as guide and translator if they found that they needed one. He was however, a consummate pro at staying out of the way and they nearly forgot that he was there.  Hitting a handful of shops in the market place, they each came away with several pairs of shorts, t-shirts, undies, and one nice outfit in case they felt like dressing up.  Abby found another store where she bought 2 casual dresses in the popular wrap around style that many of the locals wore, hoping she would be able to remember how to put them on once she got back to their room.  She also found a pair of sandals she couldn’t pass up.  While she was doing all of that, Sebastian purchased another button down shirt, a hat, and a necklace that he wanted Abs to have.

Time flew by and at 1:30, they asked Orlando to join them for lunch. At first he declined with much thanks, but Sebastian insisted, convincing the young man that he needed him there so he could get some information about the island and it would be easier if they spoke over a relaxing lunch. They found a nice restaurant and once they were seated and their drinks arrived, Seb questioned the man about the history of the island, how long he had worked for the resort etc. and finally he dropped the question he really wanted answered.

“Orlando, it seems like this place pretty much caters to couples… is it strange to have a single man like Chris staying on the island, alone?

“Chris? Oh… Mr. Hensley!  Yes, it is rare, but there is no rule against it.  He is a good neighbor for you, yes?”

Sebastian looked at Abby who was watching him closely, wondering what he was up to.

Staring at Orlando, Sebastian took his time answering. “He’s alright.  Just seems odd that he doesn’t have someone,  maybe a woman, with him…” he let his voice trail off, hoping that the younger man would offer some insight into what the blonde man did with all that time by himself.  Orlando either didn’t know, or he wasn’t talking.

Abby placed her hand gently on Sebastian’s thigh and when he turned to look at her, she smiled prettily, her eyes twinkling. “I bet he just wants a little privacy sweetie, same as we do.  Don’t you think?”

He gave her a sideways smirk and answered, “Yeah… I guess that’s probably it.”  
  


They finished their meal and headed back to the island, where they were greeted by the manager, who updated them on their luggage… it was officially ‘lost’, but the airline was doing everything they could to locate it.

Sebastian closed his eyes for a moment, sigbed and spoke kindly, “That’s … okay. We can make do for a few days now.  Thank you for the update.”  The other man apologized again and promised he would stay on top of the situation.

While they were there, they arranged for a boat ride early that evening and a couple’s spa-day the following day, complete with mud baths and full body massages; and they signed up for a snorkeling session a couple of days after that.  When they finished making their arrangements, they turned down the offer to be shuttled back to their hut choosing instead to walk and enjoy the surroundings on their own. 

A few minutes into the walk, Abby grabbed his arm saying, “Sebby, I don’t know if I can do this spa-day thing.”

He started to tease her, but then he realized that she was serious. “Oh baby… Why not?”

Stopping to stand in front of him, she looked embarrassed and very uncomfortable. “I… I don’t know…” 

Touching her chin he spoke quietly, “Abs, its okay. If you don’t want to, we don’t have to.” She looked away and sighed shaking her head.

“I want to. I do.  I just don’t know… I freak out sometimes.  You know that.”

 

_***…he did know that. It had been so long since she had ‘freaked out’ that he had almost forgotten about it.   They had been dating intermittently for a few months; he was travelling a lot for filming and was gone a couple of weeks at a time, so it wasn’t like they really knew that much about each other yet.  There was no spoken commitment between them and they were free to date other people, although neither of them had.  It was a beautiful day and Seb had surprised Abby with tickets to a baseball game. It was a rare match-up between the Yankees and Abby’s favorite team the Kansas City Royals, and they had a wonderful time at the ballpark.  It was a hard fought game and in the end, the Yankees won, but Abby was a good sport and hinted to him that she would love to see a few more games before the season was over._

_Afterwards they had stopped at one of Seb’s favorite watering holes where Abby drank enough that she was willing to do a Karaoke song with him on stage. She had a terrible case of the giggles and apparently a lot of the other patrons thought she was talented and/or entertaining enough that they requested another song from the pair. They graciously declined.  Much later that night, at Abby’s house, things were getting quite ‘heated’ when Abby’s amorous mood suddenly turned ice cold.  “Stop.  Sebastian, stop now, please!”_

_This wasn’t the first time she had put an abrupt end to his advances, though she was always gentle in her refusal and he didn’t take it personally. Clearly there was a reason for it, but she hadn’t opened up to him about it._

_She wouldn’t look at him, only saying “I’m sorry… I can’t.”_

_“Abby. Please look at me.”_

_She shook her head softly and repeated, “I’m sorry.”_

_He took her hand and gently pulled her to his chest, holding her there for the longest time. When it seemed that she had collected herself, he said “Baby, I get that there is something going on here.  Please talk to me.  Tell me what it IS.”_

_She didn’t say anything for a few minutes, but finally looked at him, his expression so warm and kind. She nodded and took a deep breath._

_“I… I have some scars on my abdomen and stomach. They are pretty ugly and I get really uncomfortable about allowing anyone to see them…”_

_Sebastian never claimed to be a rocket scientist, but he knew there was a lot more to it than that. He waited._

_She started to speak, and then stopped, searching his eyes, her own looking so wounded that he asked, “Abby? What happened? Did someone hurt you?” At first he had assumed she had been in an accident or something…but the fog was clearing and he thought he knew the answer already._

_She nodded and sucked in another quick breath. “Yes.  It was about six years ago and **I was stupid and naïve and I paid for it**.”  Her words came out in an angry rush and Sebastian took her face in his hands. _

_“Stop. Don’t you dare take the blame for what someone else did to you. Don’t you do that.”_

_She actually smiled at him then. “I know, I know … I’ve heard it all before.   I try not to, I really do.  And most of the time, I’m ok.  I’m good.  But I’m still paying the price; I still have... episodes …and nightmares.  Sometimes, this guilt and fear and anger just wells up inside me and I have no control over it. Not when or where or with whom … but it usually happens in situations like this… those times I really **want** to be close to someone, I can’t. And I’m so sorry…”_

_“Oh Abs baby… don’t be sorry. It’s not your fault. It’s not. Just tell me what I need to do. How do I make you feel safe? What do you need from me?” Sebastian was outraged that this kind, gentle woman was burdened with such a dark secret. And the fact that she tried to take the blame, showed him a side of her he had never expected.  The whole thing made him feel sick and helpless and he wanted to take care of her that much more._

_“Just be patient with me, please?” She spoke so softly, so sincerely it made his heart ache. “I want to be with you Sebastian, you know that. And I do trust you. I do.  Just give me time. Just a little time.”  She pressed her lips to his then, and he kissed her so tenderly, she smiled at him, whispering “thank you.”_

_After that, things got a lot better between the two of them. It was almost as if, saying it out loud made it seem less of an issue. Abby told Sebastian about the rape, the vicious stabbing with a broken bottle afterwards, how she believed she was going to die that night.  The man, who had seemed so kind and trustworthy, had in fact been quite sick, making a habit of engaging in brutality on women.   She still had nightmares about it.  And sometimes an adverse reaction when people touched her, or even just got in her ‘space’, but she was getting better and being with Sebastian was the best medicine of all.****_

 

“Baby, I’ll be right there with you. I’ll never let you out of my sight, I promise.” He thought she would really enjoy the pampering if she could just let herself relax. She didn’t look convinced so he said, “Just, think about it.  Don’t fret over it.  If you wake up in the morning and don’t want to do it, we won’t.  That simple.  Okay?” She nodded in agreement.

“Hey… let me see that gorgeous smile,” he said as he pushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear and she did smile then; linking her arm around his and leaning into him. They continued on, arriving back at their bungalow just in time as clouds that had rolled in from nowhere opened to rain down on them. Taking their purchases to the bedroom, they lay them out to admire and then hung them in the small closet. Abby stopped to look in the mirror and fuss a little with hair when Sebastian walked up behind her, kissing her behind her ear, saying, “Let me see if this helps,” he whispered as he slipped the necklace around her neck and fastened it, kissing her shoulder softly.

“Sebastian! When did you… oh, it’s lovely!!” Abby turned to wrap her arms around him saying “Thank you so much!” tears wear pooling in the corners of her eyes, “What did I ever do to deserve you?”

Smiling, pulling her close he spoke softly, “Sorcery. You cast a spell on me the moment I saw you and I don’t ever want to break it. Not ever.”  He touched her face gently and kissed her lips, promising, “I’ll never let you go.”

 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sex is strongly implied here... Please don't be offended OR disappointed, whichever way you lean! 
> 
> Please leave comments and let me know what you think.   
> Thank you for reading!!

 

DEA Agent Chris Hensley was on the mainland, trying desperately to get a phone connection to his superiors. They were the ones who had set up this cluster-fuck of a deal without considering the possibility of collateral damage. They were concerned with recovering the diamonds and other contraband that their suspects were delivering to a buyer on ‘an island off of the Belize mainland’.  He had narrowed which island down to two possibilities, which was why he was constantly kayaking back and for the between the two, trying to get a feed on what the hell was actually going on. Their sources had indicated that the drop would be in the next couple of days, but had not come through with even one name yet. All he had was somewhat vague descriptions that could fit half of the men in that part of the world, other than the large scar on one man’s neck.

This whole operation did not feel right. Thrown together at the last minute, sketchy info at best, and he had been pulled off of another case he was working to be the lead operative on this one. Made no sense to him, but not much did these days.  There had been a huge shake up from the inside out of the agency and the field ops were feeling the brunt of the backlash.  Typical.

When he had first set eyes on Sebastian, he thought he may have found one of those he was looking for, for about 10 seconds. His dark hair and beard, the mistrust in his eyes, athletic build; his whole persona … It all fit until he realized who the man was and that the look in his eyes was pure jealousy.  Not that he blamed the guy.  Abby was a beautiful woman, easy going, intelligent and funny with a ready smile and contagious laugh.  He hoped that the two of them would be elsewhere when the drop came, if it did, to their island.  He truly didn’t want either of them hurt.  He knew that Sebastian was suspicious of him already; maybe he should have a talk with him…

 

What they had thought would be a quick little shower turned into a long, soft rain that lasted nearly two hours. Abby and Sebastian sat on the covered deck for quite a while, just watching and listening to the sounds of the ocean as the rain pattered down.  It wasn’t a bad storm like the ones they were used to.  No rumbles of thunder or flashes of lightening. No wind other than the usual breeze off the ocean. It was peaceful and comforting.  They rocked back and forth in the glider, talking softly about every little thing under the sun, drinking some fruity concoction that housekeeping had brought, along with a couple of bottles of wine and more cheeses and crackers and some of the largest grapes Abby had ever seen. When the woman asked if there was anything special that they would like, Sebastian asked for pizza and Abby wondered if they could throw together a taco salad. 

Marina grinned widely at both of them, nodded and assured them they could have both or either for dinner that night. They decided to go with the pizza first, making Sebastian pump his fist saying, “YESSSSSS!” and he gave Marina the thumbs up, making her giggle as she left the two of them alone.  That had been a couple of hours earlier and they had not seen another soul since then.  Sebastian kept expecting to see Chris strutting down the beach at any moment, flexing his muscles and offering Abby a ride in his kayak…    
  


The rain began to dwindle and soon it turned into sporadic sprinkles as the sun burst through the clouds and gave everything a beautiful glowing brightness. It couldn’t have been 20 minutes later, when a boat arrived in the water in front of their bungalow, ready to take them for a ride around the cluster of islands that they were a part of. 

Abby looked at Sebastian to see if he still wanted to take the tour; he was looking and acting quite comfortable right where he was; but he cocked his head and told the man “Yes. Let us do a few things inside.  It will just take a couple of minutes.”

The man nodded as Seb pulled Abby up from the glider and they went inside. They both used the bathroom, they grabbed a couple of bottles of water, Abby picked up a scrunchie from the coffee table to pull her hair back and after locking the door, they were soon on their way.  
  


Their ‘driver’ was an older man with weathered skin and a bright smile. He pointed out different sea creatures as they glided through the water as well as several different trees and the like on the various islands. He was very funny and had them laughing for a good portion of the ride.  They had stopped at one of the other islands so Abby could get a closer look at a couple of large bushes, covered with amazing orange flowers.  The man told her to help herself to a few of them and handed Sebastian his pocket knife.  She studied the largest bush for a moment then asked him to cut just one bloom, which he then tucked in her hair, behind her ear, whispering “Beautiful” before they turned to climb back onto their little boat to return to their rooms.   

As they drifted along, in no hurry to reach the shore, Abby could not keep from smiling as she watched Sebastian chat animatedly with their driver, who was obviously more than happy to share a story or two with whoever would listen. She still had to pinch herself once in awhile, having never dreamed she would be in this kind of relationship with anyone, much less Sebastian Stan.  He was so amazing.  Clearly he was handsome to the point of ridiculousness; kind and gentle, funny, talented and such a tender, considerate and totally satisfying lover. She loved that he was such a good person and a valued friend to everyone in his circle...  
  
 

_She thought back to their first date, their first kiss. It was three days after the rooftop incident when her phone rang.  She didn’t recognize the number but decided to answer anyway..._   
  


_“Hello?”_

_“Hi. YOU are really difficult to track down.”_

_Abby smirked and asked “Who is this?”_

_“You know who this is.” Sebastian said in his ‘I’m too sexy for my shirt’ sultry voice._

_“Is this my cowboy?” Abby giggled, unable to keep from teasing him just a little._

_“What?? No! This is not your cowboy.  I thought you would have sent him off into the sunset by now.”_

_“Why on earth would I do that? He’s a pretty good catch.” Abby wouldn’t let it go._

_“You DO know this is Sebastian, right?” he asked in an attempt at sounding crushed by her comments._

_Abby laughed and apologized, “Oh!! Is it?? I am so sorry!”_

_“Crap… and here I thought you were dreaming about me all this time and you can’t even remember my name. This is a real blow to my ego.”_

_“Oh dear… poor baby. Can it be fixed?” she asked sweetly._

_“Wellll… you could go out with me, maybe kiss it and make it better…”_

_Snorting, Abby asked “Kiss what, exactly?”_   
  


_The other end of the line grew silent as Sebastian tried to come up with the appropriate response._   
  


_“Oh man!! You are so over thinking it.  I don’t know if I’m up to that particular challenge; whatever ‘it’ might be.”_

_Abby was laughing and Sebastian said, “You… you caught me off guard! Say you’ll go out with me and I’ll have an answer for you by then, I promise.”_

_“When?”_

_“What?”_

_“When were you thinking of going out with me? Try to keep up Mr. Stan” Abby teased._

_“How about right now?” came his surprising response._

_It was Abby’s turn to be speechless._

_“Abby? No snappy come back?” He questioned with a smile in his voice._

_“No.”_

_“No… you don’t have a snappy come back, or no you won’t go out with me right now?”_

_“Wha…what!?”_

_Suddenly there was a knock on her door and she peeked out to see her new favorite rogue standing on her porch. Throwing the door open she smiled as he stepped inside; taking her in his arms and placing a slow, deep, passionate kiss on her lips.  Abby felt herself melting then, and in that moment, she knew nothing would ever be the same..._

And certainly, nothing had been. Now here it was, two years later, and he still called, teased, seduced, entertained, spoiled and loved, yes, LOVED her. It was sorcery all right, but she doubted that she had anything to do with it.   


Arriving back at the island, Sebastian generously tipped “Zippy”, as the old man called himself and he and Abby returned to the bungalow, set to have a lazy evening and spend every minute enjoying each other. Neither of them any the wiser as two boats docked in the darkness and a hand full of passengers disembarked from each, making their way to set up in the empty huts.

 

Chris was fully aware of what was going on. His phone that had not been working earlier had suddenly come to life and he received several calls, one after the other.   His support team had arrived on site and was setting up for the arrival of Carlos Mendoza and his associates, who would be making the trade for several dozen crates of stolen military grade weapons and a fortune worth of blood diamonds coming out of South America.

Most people thought of Africa when they heard the term ‘blood diamond’, so named because of the miners that were shot where they stood as soon as they discovered the rough stones. The stones were mined in the jungles bordering Guyana and then falsely certified as properly mined gems and sold on the black market to Brazil, Belize and Columbia.  All the proceeds would likely finance insurgents and terrorist throughout several countries, as well as making at least one or two people extremely wealthy and powerful. Powerful enough that they could then start the process all over again; rinse and repeat.

Speaking to his unit supervisor, Chris told him about Sebastian and Abby, and that they were the only guests on the island, along with 8 staff members, whose number would increase when the other bungalows were occupied by guests. He expressed his concern for the couple and wanted the ok to remove them from the grounds before the delivery was made the following afternoon.   To his surprise and extreme consternation, he was told to just allow things to play out.  No need to concern the couple and take the chance that they would inadvertently say something to someone who could tip off their target.  This all seemed unlikely and very risky to Chris, but he agreed to keep quiet, at least for the time being.   
  


Tucked away in their own little world, Sebastian and Abby decided to take a quick skinny dip in their pool, as their swimsuits were in their luggage and they hadn’t thought to buy more on their shopping spree. Well, Sebastian actually HAD thought of it, but chose not to mention it just yet… it was a guy thing.  They stepped outside in their complimentary robes and Seb was unabashed in his eagerness to jump in the water, throwing his robe to the side and diving in as Abby watched him with a grin on her face.  Coming up for air, he cocked his head as he saw her standing on the pool deck, biting her lip.

“Come on Abs…it’s just us. Jump in.” he spoke softly, teasing.

Abby looked out past the small stand of palm trees and the beach was just as vacant as it had been nearly every moment since they had arrived, no one else in sight.

“What if someone comes by?” she asked shyly.

“Abby, really? Marina has already come and gone.  Surfer dude doesn’t walk this late.  The staff never comes around unless we need or ask them to.  It’s just us…” he swam to the edge of the pool and gave her such a look, she had to laugh.

“Okay,” she said softly as she dropped her robe and walked carefully down the stairs into the pool. Sebastian met her there, taking her hand as she got near, pulling her close once she was submerged in water up to her shoulders.  
  


The sun had been down long enough that the water had cooled down a few degrees, just enough that Abby shivered slightly. Sebastian leaned into her, his lips finding hers, followed by his tongue as he held on to her, kissing her deeply, almost urgently. After a long moment they separated and she let go of him to swim a few slow, smooth laps that were almost hypnotic.  He watched her a while then fell in beside her as they did several more laps together, finally stopping where they had started, laughing and breathing a little hard.  Abby pulled up close to Sebastian and this time she kissed him first, then suddenly she stopped, whispering “Let’s go inside.”

She got no argument from him and they quickly got out of the pool, grabbing their robes and hurrying inside. The door was barely shut before Sebastian pushed her up against the wall and was kissing her; biting her lip, nibbling on her chin, kissing her with enough force that she moaned softly and returned his passion in kind.  He picked her up and carried her to stand next to the bed where he dropped his robe and slowly pushed hers off her shoulders, placing a scorching path of kisses down her neck and across her shoulder as his hand traveled across her back, down to her hip, then squeezing her butt softly while the other found her breasts at the same time as her hand touched his hardness and moved to gently cup him, making it his turn to groan.

They settled onto the bed, murmuring softly, the sounds of love and desire as they shared their bodies and their hearts, baring their souls and promising to always care for each other. They made love several times that night, seemingly not able to get enough of each other, each time more satisfying than the last.  Finally spent, Abby still found the energy to get up to take a quick shower and Sebastian slipped out of bed to dig something out of his carry-on bag.  He held the small box in his hand for several minutes, debating if this was the right time or not; ultimately deciding that it wasn’t, slipping it back into the bag.  He walked to the kitchen for a couple of bottles of Coke, Abby’s drink of choice; swearing there was nothing that tasted or felt so good as it burned its way down her throat.  He was smiling when he turned around to find her standing in the doorway, watching him.

“Hey handsome,” she said, winking at him with a grin on her face.

“Hey Red,” he replied with a gleam in his eyes. He only called her ‘Red’ once in a while… usually after a marathon of lovemaking… 

Handing her a bottle of coke, she smiled seductively taking it from him and said, “You sir, know ALL my weak spots…” she licked her lips in appreciation and he laughed, certain that the future was set, and that they would always have each other.

 


	5. Chapter 5

 

The next morning dawned clear and bright, but you couldn’t prove it by asking Abby or Sebastian. Their late night, turned early morning, turned just past dawn ‘playtime’ had worn them both out and they slept in, quite late. At 10:15 Sebastian got up and after a stop in the bathroom, he went to the kitchen and pushed the button on the coffee maker to start it going, then returned to their bed to press a gentle kiss on Abby’s shoulder, who only groaned and covered her head with the pillow. He jumped in the shower and let the water pound down on his head and back until he finally felt somewhat refreshed.  At least his eyes would stay open by themselves.

Pouring himself a cup of coffee, he took it outside and sat in a lounge chair by their pool. Gazing out over the open water, he thought he saw something… possibly a glimmer of sunshine off of metal? Maybe a boat of some kind?  He kept searching the waves, but even with his dark glasses on, the glare of the sun partially blinded him and he was unable to spot it again.  He closed his eyes and almost immediately dozed off. When Abby stepped outside and joined him by the pool, she did pretty much the same thing he had.  Only the mysterious object was now much closer and it was clearly a fairly good sized boat.

She watched as it slowed seemingly to go around the island. How strange she thought, as it was just close enough that she could hear several men on board barking at each other, but couldn’t make out what they were saying.  She suddenly got an awful feeling in the pit of her stomach and reached over to wake Sebastian from his nap.  About that time, Chris came from the back of their house, looking extremely apprehensive. 

“Abby, Sebastian… you need to move inside, close the shades and stay put. Don’t answer the door for anyone but me.”

Seb looked at the man like he was speaking Greek, but Abby stood immediately and grabbed his arm, pulling him toward the bungalow.

“Abs, what the hell?” he felt like he had closed his eyes and opened them to find himself in Wonderland…

“I don’t know baby. I saw a boat coming toward the island, then it turned, to circle around I think.  It didn’t seem like it was leaving.  It gave me a bad feeling.  Let’s just do what he says, okay?”

They got inside and started closing the blinds to make the hut look empty, when Chris tapped on the window, just as Seb was starting to close the last one; Abby jumped and he went to the door and opened it partially. 

“Do you know how to use this?” Chris asked, holding up a 9mm SIG Sauer and offering it to him.

“I’ve never done much shooting, but I have had training in handling guns for films.” Seb was fully awake now, and ‘worried’ would not begin to describe how he felt or the gnawing pain growing in his gut.

“Good. Here’s the safety, here’s an extra clip; keep these close.”

Sebastian took the revolver from him asking, “Chris, what the fuck is going on?”

“No time to explain. Just, stay low, away from the windows … and take care of Abby.” 

There was no mistaking the truth of what he was saying or the concern in his voice. They were in real danger, and it was up to Sebastian to keep Abby safe. He nodded and Chris turned and headed out to face whatever danger waited on the beach. Mendoza and his group of pirate friends had arrived several hours before the previously agreed upon time. Probably in hopes of destroying any kind of plan to surprise them.   It had almost worked.

 

Around the bend of the island, the larger boat anchored and deployed a much smaller dinghy to carry the men on board to the island. Just as they pulled ashore, Chris appeared from nowhere and greeted them heartily.  As they exchanged a few words, Mendoza surveyed his surroundings, seeing two men standing beside and an old car, its hood up, looking like it was ready for the junkyard.  There was a gardener, spraying down the sidewalk, knocking the sand off; and occasionally turning his hose to water a planter of flowers.  They had passed a small fishing boat on their way in to the island, two men with a young boy, apparently not having a lot of luck. 

If it all worked right, Mendoza and his men would not figure out that those people were all ‘plants’, undercover DEA agents, fully armed and set on arresting the pirates, while recovering the illegal weapons and diamonds. There were several other agents spread around the island, keeping watch for stray members of Mendoza’s group to come ashore from another angle; as well as a dozen more agents on the mainland, just minutes away if called on.

Carlos spoke to one of his men, who were standing next to a large crate. He opened it and pulled out a high powered Colt semi-automatic carbine, handing it to Chris, who examined it with the ease of a professional, or least someone who was very familiar with weapons.  There were other weapons as well, the Koch MP5 Navy variant, the Mark 11 sniper rifle and a variety of handguns.  These guys were serious, and these weapons didn’t belong in the hands of insurgents.

“These will do just fine my friend,’ Chris bellowed as he smacked the man on the back; causing a couple of his crew to raise their weapons. “Whoa!” he spoke in mock surprise. I meant no offense. My apologies Mr. Mendoza.”

Carlos snapped his fingers and snarled at the men who immediately lowered their weapons and took a few steps back.

Chris smiled at him, dislike roiling in his gut. “May I see the stones now?” he asked softly. Mendoza smiled a bloodthirsty smile if there is such a thing and motioned to his man.  He opened a small briefcase and the diamonds, still uncut, gleamed up at him.

“Wow… these are amazing. Do you have the papers?”

Not quite the fool that the DEA was hoping he would be, the tall man nodded and said, “As soon as I receive payment, I will give you everything you need.”

“Of course, of course!” Let’s go to my hut and have a cold drink. I wasn’t expecting you so early… Your payment is stashed there.”

Instructing two of his men to stand watch on the beach, Carlos and the other three men fell in line and followed Chris to his hut, cutting across the inland, passing several yards behind the bungalow where and Sebastian and Abby waited to hear something. Once they arrived at Chris’s place, he stepped up onto the short deck and taking a deep breath he reached just inside the screen door and came out with his own Colt semi automatic.  As he did so, a hand full of agents who had been trailing them, just out of sight, closed a circle around Mendoza and the others. 

If he understood more of the words the man was spewing his way, Agent Hensley may have been offended, but as it was, he was cautiously happy that things were going so smoothly. Just as he was thinking all was well, the sound of gunfire rang out, echoing across the interior of the island.  

“Shit” he said to no one in particular, as the trio who had come with Carlos took it upon themselves to take evasive actions and turned their weapons on the other agents. Chris took what cover he could and in seconds had taken down one of the three.  More shots rang out, some nearby and others from the beach. For several minutes, it seemed as if a real battle was going on, but although the pirates were as well armed as the agents, they were no match for their experience or expertise with their weapons and as suddenly as it had began, it was over.  Two of the pirates lay dead and another couple of them were injured and writhing in pain on the ground between the beach and the hut. 

Looking around, Chris dropped his head then said loudly, “Where the fuck is Mendoza??” In all the excitement, he had managed to slip away, making his way back towards the beach.  As he came across the empty looking hut where Seb and Abby were staying, he hesitated, debating whether he should take cover inside, not knowing how things had gone down on the beach.  As he tried the back door, Sebastian moved Abby to the bathroom, telling her to stay put as he closed the door tight.  He leaned against the wall, eyes flickering back and for the between the front and back doors…

It had grown almost unnaturally quiet outside and Sebastian released the safety on his weapon, praying he wouldn’t need to use it, but ready if need be. Suddenly, there was the sound of a struggle going on just outside the front door. A shot was fired and Abby could not stop herself from coming out of the relative safety of the bathroom to launch herself into Seb’s arms. He hugged her tight asking, “What are you DOING?  I told you to stay put.  Abby, I would die if anything happened to you… don’t you know that?” He squeezed her even tighter and kissed the top of her head.

There was a sharp rap on the door and they heard Chris calling out to them. Sebastian let go of Abby, then cautiously opened the door and saw a man lying on the ground, blood pooling at the back of his head.  He could see the bullet marks on his chest, but no blood there and he assumed that the man was wearing Kevlar.

“You two okay?” Chris asked as he stepped in front of Carlos, in an attempt to shield Abby from seeing the body.

Sebastian looked at Abby who had turned away from the scene. She glanced over her shoulder at him and nodded.

“Yes. We’re good.” He started to hand the gun back to Chris, but he shook his head saying, “Hang on to that, for just a while.  We need to do clean up and make sure there are no surprise guests.  You two hang tight.  I’ll let you know when it’s all over.  Put the safety back on, okay?”

Sebastian nodded, doing as Chris suggested, then placed the gun on the counter. Abby stared at it for a few seconds, then sat down on the nearest chair and started crying. Going to her side, Seb took her hand and pulled her up, holding her in his arms, stroking her hair. She looked into his eyes and asked, “That man was dead wasn’t he?”  Nodding, he said, “Yes, he was.  And there may be others too.  Our buddy Chris is apparently law enforcement of some kind.  But don’t worry about anything…I think he’s just being extra careful right now because we are here.  I’m sure we’ll have to answer some questions later. Then it will all be over.”

She had the infamous look of a deer in the headlights and he kept reassuring her that they were safe and that things would be back to normal soon; praying to God that he wasn’t lying to her. They cuddled on the couch for a while and when she was feeling a little better, her natural inquisitiveness took over and she peppered him with questions for which he had no answers. Next they started coming up with their own scenarios, which got even more out of hand than the actual truth of the matter and they began laughing, as tasteless as it seemed given the situation.

Finally, nearly two hours later, Chris returned and introduced himself as an agent of the DEA, flashing his badge and smiling kindly at Abby. He took his time and explained to them how the operation had been set up at the last minute with very little prep time. He assured them they would have been moved to safety if there had been time to arrange it. As it was, they had been surrounded by agents for the past 24 hours and had been under visual surveillance the whole time. 

Abby looked at Sebastian, her eyes huge, thinking of their previous night’s activities. He shook his head and looked at Chris for help.

“Oh!! I don’t mean you two were being **watched** every minute, just your whereabouts and the immediate vicinity.  You were never suspects at any time… just bystanders.”

Chris trailed off, still unhappy with his superiors for not allowing him to remove the couple the previous night, assuring they would not be endangered by the arrival of Mendoza and his crew. He did have a few routine questions that he was required to ask, jotting down their replies in a small notebook.   He went on to answer as many of their questions as he legally could, then apologized for intruding on their vacation and asked if they needed anything. 

“Just our missing luggage” Abby smiled brightly and Chris had to admit that he didn’t have any control over that, but he would ask around.

Finally, he offered Sebastian his hand and thanked him for keeping cool under pressure.

“Yeah, well….” Seb answered, “I really didn’t have much choice.” He looked at Abby as he spoke and it was clear to Agent Hensley just how much the man loved her. Nodding at Sebastian, he asked for the weapon he had ‘loaned’ him and suggested that he ‘not mention it’ to anyone else. He wasn’t really supposed to hand out guns to civilians, but he figured they’d had the right to protect themselves.

 

Once Chris had gone and the shades were thrown open, it was another beautiful day to behold. They had missed out on their spa-day, but neither of them seemed to mind. They did walk over to the main building to check on their luggage.  As was his custom, they were greeted by the manager and he was pleased to let them know that their luggage had been found and was on its way to them, set to arrive around 6:00 pm.  After the day they had all had, he wondered if they might want to relocate their accommodations to the mainland.  Giving it a brief thought, they both shook their heads as the staff smiled on and promised the rest of their stay would be incident free.  Seb requested a reservation at a ‘nice’ restaurant on the mainland, then arranged their transportation and thanked them all for their help.  

As they stepped outside, together they looked up to the blue sky, then out across the emerald water, and back at each other, both of them busting out in laughter.

“Don’t say it.” Sebastian was shaking his head slowly back and forth.

“Say what?” Abby asked in her sweetest voice.

“Don’t say that this was MY idea. How could I know our luggage would be lost, or that the island would be invaded by pirates?” he looked at her with his best pouty face.

“Oh... That!” She looked at him with a smirk on her face.  That’s all history.  I’m just curious what the hell you have arranged for the rest of the week.  And I’m wondering….”

He took the bait, “Wondering what?”

“I’m wondering where my cowboy is today,” she could barely hold back the laugh and all was lost when Sebastian grabbed her and started tickling her.

“You mean good old’ tall, dark and country?? I’m sure he’s out on the range, wrestling with cows or something.  You KNOW you wouldn’t be having nearly as much fun there as you are here with me.” He kissed her and smiled, then tickled her some more.  She managed to get away from him and ran ahead laughing, hair flowing around her as she went.  Sebastian smiled, glad that she hadn’t wanted to leave.  He was looking forward to the rest of their stay with great anticipation.

 


	6. Chapter 6

 

 

They spent a few hours basking in the sun, walking around the island, lying by the water, or reading on the deck by the pool. The happenings of that morning were already crumbling away, slipping into the abyss like a bad dream; as if none of it had even happened.   Chris stopped by to say goodbye and Abby gave him a warm hug, while he and Sebastian shook hands and exchanged pats on the back.  Just another day.  


As the time approached, they started the process of getting ready for an evening out. Of course Sebastian took much less time in his preparation; and his constant attempt to help Abby with hers was quite distracting, but at last she was putting the finishing touches on her hair; adding a small spritz of perfume so it smelled as delicious as the rest of her did.  
  


There was yet another sensational sunset in the making and they enjoyed the sight as they were ferried to the mainland, and then taxied to the restaurant. It was a lovely place atop one of the nicest hotels. They sat out under the stars and dined on steak, asparagus, salad and scrumptious dinner rolls that were so sweet they tasted like cake. And wine. There was lots of a delicious fruity wine. 

“Are you trying to get me drunk?” Abby leaned close to Sebastian and whispered in his ear. If you are… it’s not going to work!”

He gave her a devilish grin then shook his head asking, “Why would I want to do that?”

“You tell me, because it certainly seems like you have something up your sleeve.” She gently poked his shoulder as she spoke those last words.

“What?” he asked, “What kind of man do you think I am?”

“The kind no woman can resist. That’s the kind you are.” She was looking directly in his eyes while her hand that had been resting just above his knee moved up much higher on his thigh.

He snorted, “Oh shit. You ARE drunk aren’t you?” Then he remembered that in all of the excitement, they really hadn’t eaten anything since breakfast.  Apparently their dinner was not keeping up with the alcohol intake.

“I am not drunk!” she insisted.

“Right…. How about we take a turn or two around the dance floor?” he offered.

“Fine. But I’m NOT drunk.” Her statement punctuated by a soft hic-up.  
  


Laughing out loud, Sebastian took her hand and led her out to the small area where several couples were already dancing. He put one of her hands on his shoulder and held the other to his chest, while he guided her around with his other hand settled comfortably on her hip.  He had to hand it to her; she had enough natural grace that she was light on her feet, even if she was slightly tipsy, which she WAS. 

The music that played was an odd assortment of hits from the 80’s and 90’s as well as some much older, more traditional dance tunes. They stayed on the floor through three songs, returning to their table to find another, complimentary bottle of wine and some delicious looking concoction topped with whipped cream.  After eating several bites, of the yummy treat, and drinking water instead of wine, Abby stood and grabbed Sebastian’s hand when the strains of "Unchained Melody" started playing. 

He was just about to take a huge bite, but when she bit her lip and cocked her head, one of his favorite moves, he couldn’t say no. They joined the others on the dance floor, forgoing the ‘proper’ hold in favor of Abby’s arms slung over Seb’s shoulders, hands loosely crossed behind his neck, her head on his chest, their bodies pressed close, his hands on her back, holding her possessively. They moved together as one, as if they were the only ones there.  Now and then Abby would lift her head and look into his eyes, smiling in a way that was meant only for him.  Each time, he would whisper something in her ear, kiss her lips softly or just smile back at her.  When the song ended, they stood there, gazing at one another, not wanting to let go. They were surprised when several people applauded softly, and then laughed when they looked like children who had been caught doing something they shouldn’t. 

"Unchained Melody"  --  Leann Rimes

<https://youtu.be/V7ULzx_IM0Q>

 

Returning to their table, Sebastian acknowledged a few people who caught his attention. He wasn’t sure if they KNEW who he was, or if they were just being nice. They were all too polite to approach him at the dinner table.  He and Abby finished about half of the last bottle that had been given to them, and then asked for their check only to find that everything was on the house.  As they waited for a taxi to get them back to the dock, several young women did greet them in the lobby and Sebastian graciously posed for pictures with all of them that he could, before their ride arrived.  
  


It seemed like the trip back took no time at all and they were soon in front of their bungalow. As he pushed the door open, even Sebastian was surprised by what the staff had done for him. He had asked that they dress it up a little while he and Abby were out… there were huge vases of gorgeous flowers adorning the entire hut, candles burning softly in strategic areas, a bucket of ice with a large bottle of champagne and glasses chilling, a beautiful plate covered with tiny individually decorated cakes, and in the background music played softly. 

Abby turned to him in astonishment. “Sebastian!  What is going on here?” she asked in a shaky whisper.  She had a notion in the back of her mind, but she didn’t want to go there, just in case she was wrong…

He looked down and shook his head, then back at her, a soft smile crossing his face before he walked over to one of the bookshelves where he picked up something and carried it over to where she stood. He put a hand to the side of her face saying, “Abby, I know we’ve never discussed it, but I have been thinking about it a lot lately.” She started to speak, but he hushed her with a finger to her lips. “I have met a lot of people in my life, but I’ve never met anyone like you. You are the kindest, sweetest, most gentle soul that I have ever encountered.  You never cease to amaze me with your wit and courage, and determination.  I can’t imagine spending a moment of my life without you in it.   I love you Red, I love you.” he knelt down on one knee, held up a dazzling diamond ring that paled by comparison to the love that shone in his eyes and asked, “Would you promise to love only me, to have my children, to keep me in line, to grow old with me?  Will you marry me Abby?  Will you be mine forever?” 

Abby could barely see the ring; her eyes were so full of tears. She wiped at her tears and put her hands on his shoulders smiling, “Sebastian, you dork. Don’t you know that I’m already yours? I have already given you my heart, my love, my very soul?  Yes I **will** marry you.  I will have your babies and grow old with you and I will love only you with every breath in my body for the rest of my life. I have loved you from the first moment we met, and I always will.”

Taking her hand, smiling through a few stray tears of his own; he placed the ring on her finger. She threw her arms around him and squealed with delight as he pulled her tight, then lifted her off the ground as they twirled around in circles, laughing until they were both so dizzy they collapsed on the couch.   
  


Lifting her hand to take a good look at the ring that Sebastian had put on her finger, she whispered loudly, “Oh my God! Sebastian… this, this is … it’s “

“No…Abby, just tell me, do you like it?” he asked, knowing that she would argue that the stone was too big or too fancy or too something.

“Yes!! Of course!! It’s beautiful! But…”

“Okay then. If you like it, that’s all I want to hear about it.  It’s the one I want you to have. Please accept this ring and don’t argue with me,” He kissed the tip of her nose.  
  


After a short pause, in which he was sure she was going to do exactly what he asked her not to do, she surprised him by simply saying, “It’s perfect,” kissing him lightly and throwing her arms around his neck again. A few minutes later, she pulled back to look in his big blue eyes, a slow smile crossed her lips as she thought about the crazy day they’d had and she knew that she would do it, every minute of it, all over again if it would end just like this.

“Sebastian?”

“Yeah, baby?”

“Let’s do it.”

He raised his brows at that and she shook her head. “Let’s don’t wait, let’s get married as soon as we can… okay?”

Sebastian hadn’t really given that part much thought. He just wanted her to know that he loved her all the way, and that he intended to stay with her good times or bad;  No matter what.

“I’m serious. I don’t want to wait.  There will always be something else that needs attention, but let’s put ‘us’ first and do this.  Okay?”

He smiled and took her hand, looking at the ring on her finger, lifting her hand to kiss it lightly. “Okay. As soon as we get home, we’ll start doing all that stuff we’re supposed to do...”

“I don’t need a big wedding. I really don’t.  All I need is you.”

“Abs… you DO need a big wedding. You may not think so, but you do.  And you are going to have one... because I want to watch you walk down the aisle, I want to hear everyone gasp at how beautiful you are and I want to make you mine in front of God and all of our friends.”

Abby insisted, “Okay, we can do that too. But in the meantime, we don’t have to wait to get married do we? Can’t we find a judge and get married now?  We don’t have to tell anyone back home if you don’t want to.  It’s just, I don’t know, I want to be your wife right now.  I want the two of us to be ONE right now.  I want our life together to start right now.”

Sebastian thought he knew where all the urgency was coming from. After all, she had seen a man shot dead that very morning…time on earth was not infinite.  There were no guarantees. 

He pulled her into his arms, whispering in her ear, “Alright, first thing tomorrow, we’ll see if we can get married right here, this week.”  She nodded and he went on, “But how about tonight, right now, let’s see what we can do about making those babies…”  Abby giggled and Sebastian picked her up and carried her to the bedroom, stopping just long enough to grab the bucket of champagne as they passed by. 

 


	7. Epilogue

 

“Abby. Aaaaby…” Sebastian whispered softly, his lips brushing her ear as he tried to rouse her from her nap.  When that didn’t work, he started tracing the outline of her lips with his finger tip until she opened her eyes and smiled up at him.   “Hey sleepy head, you wanted me to wake you up so you could see the end of the race.  Your boy is leading, but uhhhhh, one of those other guys keeps getting real close.”

Abby sat up on the couch, stretching and yawning behind her hand. Smiling at him she said, “He is not ‘my boy’.  He is ‘my driver’.  And he will win.  I dreamed about it.”

Sebastian snorted and gave her a look, but she just grinned at him. They hadn’t been able to get married in Belize.  They simply didn’t have time to get the proper paperwork completed.  When they arrived home from their trip, Susan greeted them at the airport, immediately noticing the rock on Abby’s finger.  

“Oh!!!! Oh my GOD!!  Oh my GOD!!!   I am so happy for you!   Abby, please, please let me help you with the wedding arrangements!  That’s what I always wanted to do and I know a lot of people and…”

Abby laughed and looking at Sebastian who shrugged like he didn’t know anything about anything, which in truth he didn’t, she told Susan she would be happy to have all the help she could get.  
  


And so, Abby didn’t get her secret wedding, although she did convince Sebastian to move into her house with her, keeping his apartment in the city for those times he needed to be there and available.  
  


Susan actually DID know a lot of people and was a whiz at lining up appointments and fittings and helping make decisions about all the little details. All of which was a blessing to Abby since Sebastian was extremely busy with filming and all the rest of the things that went into making his latest movie.  However, they did manage to fit in time for each other and with their wedding now just weeks away, Abby had a little surprise for Sebastian.

After they finished watching the race, which Abby’s driver did win, they ate a light dinner and then sat out on the porch, watching the neighbor kids tossing around an old football, laughing and teasing each other, that same scruffy little dog intent on grabbing the ball and running away with it. Sebastian, his arm draped around Abby as they watched, was so thankful for the way that things were turning out. His career, his beautiful wife, their home in the ‘suburbs’, life was good.

“Sebby,” she asked, “What would you rather have, a boy or a girl?”

“Well, if we could make it happen, I think I would want a boy first, and then two or three girls,” he teased. Abby didn’t say anything and he cocked his head and looked at her suspiciously... “Why do you ask?” he wondered aloud.

Unable to hold back the huge grin, she answered “Because in about seven months, we’ll…”

He grabbed her before she could finish, his eyes huge, mouth open wide. “ABBY!!!  What?!!!  Are you? Are we?”  Abby was nodding and Sebastian pulled her in and kissed her before pushing her away and asking, “Are you okay?  Do you need anything?  Do you need to lay down? Do you want me to rub your feet?  What, what, what can I do??” he seemed so desperate to please her she said, “Just hold me and kiss me and tell me you will love me even when I’m as big as a whale…”

“A whale? A whale?  I love whales…” 

Abby laughed and putting her arms around him she pulled his face near, as she whispered, “I love you dork, always.”

“I love you too Red, forever…

… and whales. I love whales,” he whispered as the pillow hit his face.

 

 

The End.


End file.
